60% voter turnout in EPC polls, Muslim participation low

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 September 2012, 15:27 GMT]The voter turn-out of Eastern Provincial polls that ended at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday was about sixty percent district wise. The voter turnout in Muslim areas was reported low, according to the District Office of the SL Elections Department. The voter turn-out was 70 percent In Paduvaankarai area in Batticaloa, but in Muslim areas it was below 75 percent compared to past 92 percent. The voter turn-out in Ampaa'rai district was 65 percent in Tamil areas but less in Muslim areas. The reason for the less turn-out in Muslim areas was cited internecine fight between Muslim political parties, the sources further said.

35 members will be elected to the Eastern provincial Council in addition to two bonus seats for the political party or independent group that polled highest votes in the province. 662 political parties and 808 independent groups contested the EPC election fielding 1470 candidates. 10, 33,749 voters were qualified to cast their franchise, according to Elections Secretariat sources.